(Washington) The US House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, on Thursday approved a text paving the way for the settlement of about 700,000 “dreamers” who arrived when they were minors in the United States, whose passage bill remains highly uncertain. In the Senate.
US President Joe Biden hailed for “the critical step in reforming our immigration system.”
“Many (of these dreamers) have worked tirelessly on the front lines in fighting the pandemic to keep our country afloat, fed and taken care of, yet they have to live in fear and uncertainty because of their immigration status.” Biden said in a statement.
He had already tweeted before the vote: “It is time for Congress to open the way for citizenship for dreamers.”
In the House of Representatives, the text was approved by 228 parliamentarians, including nine Republicans, while 197 Republicans voted against it.
The Democrats also have a majority in the Senate, but it is too short to allow them to adopt this text without the support of ten Republicans. It is highly unlikely today, as many in the party believe that such measures would encourage the arrival of large numbers of illegal immigrants.
Under Democratic President Barack Obama, in 2012 the United States implemented the DACA program, which aims to protect these “dreamers” from deportation, who entered illegally during their childhood in the United States, where they have lived ever since.
But Donald Trump canceled it in 2017, opening a period of extreme uncertainty for these young people under the age of 30. In June 2020, the United States Supreme Court charged him with contempt by approving this program.
The Democrats’ bill paves the way for their naturalization, as well as for holders of Temporary Protection Status (TPS), granted to citizens of countries that are dangerous or vulnerable to natural disasters.
“These are our teachers, our professionals, our chief executives, our business people,” said Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives.
In this process, the Chamber approved a text aimed at making it easier for migrant agricultural workers to obtain a residence permit, with wider support: 247 votes in favor and 174 votes.
For Liz Cheney, the third Republican in the House of Representatives, these two laws amount to “granting amnesty to millions” of illegal immigrants. “We must focus on strengthening borders and improving the legal immigration system.”
Joe Biden pledged a comprehensive immigration reform that would pave the way for naturalization for nearly 11 million illegal immigrants. However, this bill has no chance of being adopted in the Senate.
If they promise to continue working on this profound reform, Democrats have chosen the first vote on these two most targeted bills.
